New York Bound!

Who could possibly have predicted a game like that? I mean, we had The Horse on the hill. Check. And Brandon Belt got an actual hit. Double check. And somehow, shockingly, a loss.

Either way, that must have been a fun game to watch in person. Win or lose, I can’t even imagine the historic lore stuffed in your face everywhere you turn at Fenway. I had no idea till this series started that the park was basically a downtown park.

But that’s it for Boston. Oh(!) and 2. Oh(!) and 5 since the break re-start. Things are starting to feel a little awkward around here. Though not as awkward as that air kiss Trump tried to manfully plant on Pence last night. What was up with that?

Here’s the pic Bum’s…..wife took of Chi and Bum. Not sure how this is going to format, doing it from my phone….

Related

189 Responses

Fenway was electric last night with Giant fans holding their own. Packed house,great comeback till the implosion with the base loaded ready to take the lead meh.. Chi Machine& Bladerunner taking the rails( you boys don’t have a sleeper car do ya) to NY with a bunch more Giant fans hoping to spank the Yanks tomorrow night!! Bum will make it so to end this 2nd half nightmare! Go Giants!!

The hat is pretty cool, Chuck. They were selling tshirts back in 2008 (?) when Baahstun rolled into town but they sold out in a hurry. We were living in Roseville, so we spent the night at the Grand Hyatt, and the city was crawling with Red Sox fans. We won that game.

What bothers me about the whole convention thing is the left is just getting way too giddy about the supposed idiocy of the republicans. Frankly, they are screwing up everything so far. And CNN/MSNBC cant get enough of reporting the gaffes. I felt the same way when Bush II was running. All last night shows is:

a) Cruz wants to make another run in 2020
b) The republican establishment still isn’t behind Trump at all

And, if Trump wins, we will see more obstructionism than at any other time in history. IOW, the last 8 years. . .

I have a shirt from the series at (at that time SBC Park) from 2004 (first time Giants and Sox had met in the regular season in about 100 years).. Was going to rock it last night but we did not make it back to our hotel from our walk on the Freedom Trail. Love this lid…will be one of my favorites all time. Going to rock it at YankMee Staduim!

Wilco asked about m meeting MadBum. See the end of the last thread. It was a very cool experience, to say the least. Blade and I are in the queue to catch our bus to NYC. In about four hours we will be in the Big Apple, baby! Make it an awesome day Flap Universe! Need to get some wins against the hated YankMees!

This really is Planes, Trains and Automobiles being played out in real life. Did the train break down, causing you two to take the bus? Which one of you is going to bust out the Flintstones theme song?

Dude. Pay attention! I have told this about 137 times now. Train was a C note more than the big dog. Fuck it…I was not paying a hundy more to ride the rails. We just met a couple (Giant fans) from New Mexico. Same story…they too said no fucking way to the train. This is the last time I tell the fucking train story. Tre rest who don’t/want to know can go fuck themselves, hard! 😉

My and the family will be frying in the bleachers on Sat….it will be a good game with the Yanks thinking they are back… My bet is the Giants will be on a better path and put a smack down and put them in their place. However, it will be a challenge with Joe , Matt and Hunter still licking their wounds… But down 8-0 and coming back last night somewhat says something to me… Go Giants!

sorry about hosing your great post, Chi. I don’t usually check the end of the thread before I post a new one. Sometimes I remember to write *new thread*. Chi also sent me a great pic of him and Bum. I’ll get all the pics up soon enough….

I have been reflecting on this trip, and realize even more than ever what a wonderful family The Flap is. I have met a number of you in person (Flav, Blade, Pawlie, SanDiggity, Unca, and more). I love you all like brothers! And I look forward to meeting Mac and the infamous Loo in NY!

With that said, thank you Craig for standing up this community for the brothers of the Orange and Black, and for keeping it alive. This blog is a true blessing!

Hey Chi, I gotta tell ya when I saw that pic of you & Bum I just about a shit a brick! I was stunned. I must have gone back to look at that photo 30 times throughout the day and each time I would laugh out loud. Obviously, I don’t know you but I feel I have a sense of the sort of person you are by the tone of your posts here. All I can say is that it’s reassuring to know that sometimes, yes, good things happen to good people. Thanks for affirming that.

Thanks, Lisle. I try to lead a humble life and be appreciative of the many blessings the Universe has bestowed upon me. I have been fortunate, and meeting Bum was another chapter in the walk down the path called life.

If I got the story right … The serendipitous meeting with Bum was at least partially the result of you changing your flight in order to arrive earlier in Boston … thus, the re-route through Charlotte. Correct?u

No. My flight out of Sacramento was late. I missed my original connection in Charlotte, had to catch a later flight, and that is how I met up with Bum. The Stars were aligned for me…another blessing!

This also facilitated meeting Blade in Boaton, as he changes to an earlier flight, and we got to Boston within about an hour of each other, and was thus able to catch the shuttle to our hotel together.

For those too lazy to look into the recent past (the last thread) here’s Wilcoe and Chi’s posts . . .

wilcojoe said, on July 21, 2016 at 7:56 am (Edit)
Hey Chi, give us the lowdown on the Bum encounter? Were you guys on the same flight? What did you say? Did anyone else recognize him? Does he wear boxers or briefs?

chipower9 said, on July 21, 2016 at 8:09 am (Edit)
Bum and his wife were on the same flight. No one else was around or approached him. I just was walking by, glanced over, our eyes met, and I said ” what the fuck!” I they asked if I could have a photo with him. His wife snapped the shot. We chatted for a few, and he explained that he and his bride had gone home for a day during the Giants off day. I told him we were off to Boston to see them, and that we also had tix to Friday’s game, and wished him luck in that outing. He just said a humble, “oh thanks man, I appreciate that.” He wished me luck in my travels and I was off. He was sitting in first class, and when I went up there to use the head, and he was crashed out hard, camp ball cap pulled down over his eyes. I have no idea, but would guess he is a boxer guy (like me). No whitey tighties for this kid!

It was a very cool experience. Fate.

unca_chuck said, on July 21, 2016 at 8:16 am (Edit)
That is so cool . . .

unca_chuck said, on July 21, 2016 at 8:15 am (Edit)
Yeah, I didn’t like the Blanco move before it played out. I liked it less after . . .

I mean Mac can at least give you the sac. If Blanco is up, he should just push a bunt past the pitcher.

Didn’t really like leaving Suarez it to give up bomb #3 to HandRam. Fuck.

Finally, got a replacement charger, as last night I lost mine in a restaurant. Direct the jokes to me regarding the bus, hotel, etc. ☺
Chi’s cool with them too. Seriously, he did a wonderful job on the hotel (free shuttle from airport, to subway, breakfast, indoor pool, coffee maker, fridge); and bus terminal is BETTER than most airports I have been to. Bus has comfortable seats, plenty of legroom, free Wi-Fi, and charger outlets for each seat. Oh, and the bus driver’s hilarious (think Boston’s Ralph Camden). Having a great time despite the loss last night. 😊👌👍

Blade nailed it. Everything has been great so far. We only missed one train connection on our way to Fenway yesterday, and the only other hiccup was Balde leaving his phone charger at the restaurant last night.

It is all good brother. We all have our paths to walk and our perspectives on life, and they are all good. I will admit, I’m a Polly (optimist) from the get-go, but always try to stay grounded in reality (grounded in reality…how boring, eh?). Love ya brother!

I get a boner thinking of all the out-of-town Giants’ fans milling about. I’d be handing out biz cards by the dozen. But I just could not manage the trip, not this time. Sounds like an epic worthy of a book, your own book, dudes.

Let’s talk, Skype, or FaceTime upon your return. I will say that helping someone do what you describe is harder than my own efforts. I spent two years helping a retired priest (Catholic who became Episcopalian, from Catholic Ireland no less) write his book. His nephew, one of the richest people in Ireland, paid me handsomely. But it fell apart. Very challenging. Lick my BRAIN? I’m using that line this weekend with YSMC (Yankee Stadium Mystery Companion).

I will let him chime in. He has been talking to a cutie in Viet Nam. If I was not in a wonderful relationship with a great woman, I would be heading over with Blade next time around. But I have a great woman and would never give her up.

One suggestion that has worked for me: when you are in the so-called motel, or even on the bus, download notes in no particular order, much like here. IN FACT, I have used posts here as narrative, just coped and pasted them into my books. The thing is you will forget details if you do not list random places, episodes, things, people. Just jot them down, record them, whatever, for later use.

Bum’s wife took the picture!!!! That is fucking awesome!
Hamilton was excellent. In another small world moment, another kid my oldest son went to high school with (not the pitcher for the Pirates), was seated almost right in front us. He does live in NY now, but that was a helluva coincidence just the same. Plus there was an attractive woman parading around her room naked last night across the courtyard from us with the shades open after we got back from the play. So, all in all, we had a pretty good night ourselves. And NO, I did not call my son over to gawk out the window with me.
Minor league ball at Coney Island tonight with Mac, Loo, and I think possibly ChiaBlade.

I talked to Loo yesterday morn, and it will just be too hectic to try and squeeze in the minor league game in Coney. Loo was very honest (thank you Loo!), and said he would not do it. So, unfortunately, we will not make it. But I wish we could! It sounds like a ducking good time! Enjoy boys, and we will all meet up tomorrow. I like Loo’s comment yesterday that he felt meeting at Finnerty’s was sounding more and more like a good idea. I want to catch the Ataten Island ferry, and possibly hit the 9-11 memorial and also would love to visit the blessed grounds that once housed the Polo Grounds.

Well…..her window is still open and I can see her things in there, so she hasn’t checked out at this time. We’ll see what tonight brings and if I have the guts to take a pic. The thought did cross my mind last night.

Well, it IS TIME to get crazy one more time! You know, deep in your mind, that this is a trip you have to make. The book that is this chapter in time will be incomplete without one Pawlie Kokonuts as a part of the fracas…

You guys probably won’t have time but the Staten Island single ‘A’ team plays in a wonderful little stadium that is literally footsteps from the ferry terminal … Ridiculously easy access from Manhattan and you get to have a great boat ride too!

A couple of things about our trip . . . I was introduced to “Boston Ice” made by Luigi last night by the Boston couple sitting next to me at the game. Delicious confectionery, that I think is an East coast favorite (comments Loo, Mac, or Pawlie?). The same couple and I were chatting about my travels and I commented to the man, “You and your girl friend should go to Pai in Thailand, famous for their hot springs” when I was interrupted by the female, who smiled broadly and said, “I’m his mother.” Whoa!!!! I’ll let Chi chime in about this if he chooses to. Regardless, I made her day. ☺👍

I knew it was the kid’s mom. He was 21 as he bought a beer (junior at U Mass). His mom must have been early forties! She was gorgeous…beautiful body, very pretty! The quintessential MILF! I would have tore that shit up ALL DAY, and went back for seconds and thirds, and has her the next morning for breakfast, too! HOWL!

Oh, and btw … If you are into Indian food (I am) there is a great place in the Village on Bleecker St.(N side) between MacDougal & Sullivan called India Taj that has an “all you can eat” Buffet for like $12 — price from 3 yrs ago — that is excellent .. I’d ‘fill er up regular’ there many, many times when I lived on Bleecker.

If you do end up down that way, walk East on Bleecker toward Broadway. Cross Laguardia Place and there on your right will be three 30 story buildings (Silver Towers), the middle one set furthest back in the quad is where I lived. And what is interesting about the place is that there is a huge Picasso sculpture set in the middle of the quad. My second floor, five windows on the right side above the entrance, looked directly out on it. And .. Please give my regards to Broadway!

The Big Dog is on the final stretch. This bus has been amazingly comfortable…actually more so than an airline flight. Blade and I should be hitting NYC within the hour. We will see how it goes, but we may jump on the Staten Island ferry this evening.

I saw that flick as part of a double feature at a drive-in in Goleta when it first came out. Loved it then, love it now. I recently brought the DVD and the movie holds up pretty well.

There’s a couple of names that got their start in that movie and went on to have nice careers: James Remar (Ajax) and David Patrick Kelly (Luther), who was a great villain in several movies and still performs a lot in off-Broadway productions. Remar has been in a ton of movies, usually as a tough, but other stuff as well. Deborah Van Valkenburgh also went on to have some success, namely in television.

I always remember the Furies, the gang on roller skates carrying baseball bats.

I have a new friend; he’s 69; Vietnam vet; he was a cop at the ‘Fort Apache’ Bronx precinct in the heyday of the ’70s. The Yankee Stadium patrol was like vacation. Oh, does he have stories. He tells of Thurman Munson pushing a kid and my friend telling off Munson with choice words. But the real stories are from his beat. When I told him I was mulling the Super 8 thing, he interrupted, “Negatory.” But my mind was already made up last Friday after my little jaunt to Rochester wore me down so much. Stay safe, girls.

no, I’ve got like 15 pics to post and I’m on a chromebook and it’s just not an easy thing to get posted. But I’ll do it when I get back to work. But I know everyone wants to see this pic so gimmie a few minutes and see if I can get it off my ph into the main thread.

‘s all right, Magnus. Actually, I’m humbled and flattered to be part of history that way. I figure Iceland is a good choice if Donald ‘Make America Hate Again’ Trump wins, which could happen. Thanks for buying the book, brother.

I recommend a little known movie called “Shattered Glass”, about a young writer for the New Republic who was thought a wunderkind, a guy crazy talented at finding angles for stories based on people and activities only he apparently could discover. Until he was revealed to have literally concocted his stories out of whole cloth — the who, what where, why and how was just all made up, or nearly so. Total fiction passed off as real events. When confronted, he just made up more lies as he went along until it all unraveled. Reminds me of Trump. Melanie didn’t plagiarize anything, and she wrote it all! Then, hey , 93% of it was hers, the rest was coincidence. Then, oh, this long-term Trump employee —– —– submits resignation for having copied Mrs. Obama’s material while writing Melania’s speech, and conveniently, shockingly, the resignation is NOT accepted by Trump. What a joke…

OK fuckers (term of endearment), joke is on you. Neighborhood is a bit sketchy, but we talked to some locals and everyone is cool. Got some train tips from some folks on the train…very nice and helpful.

We just got to the hotel. Rooms (yes PLURAL) are nice. They did not have a room with double beds so we each have a room on their dime.

Pawlie – offer stands. Get in that damned Rabbit and roll!

I will shoot Flav a pict of Steve outside the hotel. Other plus is our hotel is a block and a half from the subway station.

Loo – our plan is your plan. Subway to Manhattan tomorrow morning Staten Island ferry and 9-11 memorial. Then we are ready for the Flapalooza gathering!

Epicness (I think I just created a new word) continues! Wish you all were here! This has been one BAD ASS trip and we’re only halfway done.

I believe Loo, Mac, and SanDiggity are at a single A game inBrooklyn tonight. Would have loved to make that, but just too much!

Hotel is literally beyond our EXPECTATIONS (and granted, they were low, i.e., usually how I travel – any expectation is a premeditated resentment waiting to happen). However, I digress . . . This hotel is easily the newest or one of the newest buildings in Fort Apa . . . Uhh, the Bronx. As Chi inidcated, they gave us an extra free room because they didn’t have the double we reserved. Nice. People around here – train and the neighborhood – are quite friendly and helpful. Subway is close – less than a 1/4 mile away. No MOFO can outrun me going to or from the Subway, so I’m safe and Chi says he can motor too if he has too.

lulz . . . Seriously guys, I feel absolutely safe here. Last time I was in NY city (other than layovers at the airports) was in 1976 and similar to then, I was struck by how pedestrians seem like they are “on a mission from God.” All walking fast and in a hurry to no where (IMO). Like rats in a maze. God forbid you go into their lanes – quite similar to a busy freeway – right and left parts of the sidewalk there is an invisible line – you do, and you get run over. Otherwise, there is far less serious crime (look it up, it’s a fact).

Anywho, both Chi and I agree, we like the laid back Boston versus the hustle and bustle of NY city. People are equally nice here and there though. 🙂

I have found the difference in the two cities is that the people in Boston are much much more drunk…more of a drinker town like Chicago. Wait till you two walk around lower Manhattan tomorrow around the old World Trade Center during the day about the crush of people trying to get to somewhere…

Chia Blade, glad you two made it…after seeing the street view pic of your hotel, I think we need some photo reenactments of the French Connection:) Chuck can wear that little bowler hat Hackman wore and Blade can certainly pull off the Roy Schneider character.

The kid and I are exhausted after beach and golf today…I am blaming my swing on that foul ball in Fenway!!! Can’t wait for the next chapter of Flapfest: New York!!

Pence did an ok job last night…don’t see them getting much of the traditional post-convention bounce. This race is Hillary’s to lose. As someone who had been to three of the four R conventions, there were a lot of empty seats and empty aisles when Pence spoke last night. Not a good sign for enthusiasm level. If Trump gets crushed in Nov and my party loses control of the Senate, I would not be shocked to see the demise of the modern Republican Party and the party split in two…

It’s no wonder nobody would charge the mound against Bum he makes Chi look like mini me in goldmember..
Chi? Get a autograph complete with snot? Does Mrs Bum snot or loogy before she took the picture? Inquiring minds need to know big guy..

First time I was in NYC was with my parents on a day trip into the City from somewhere in New Jersey, circa 1970. The thing I remember most was an iconic poster in the window of a poster shop showing a long-legged woman standing in front of a urinal next to guys on either side standing next to urinals. I was intrigued. Next time was in winter ’86, including New Years Eve in Times Square. I interviewed at Salomon, Bankers Trust and one more investment bank I can’t remember. At Salomon, all the guys interviewing me were total assholes. Took me to a nice lunch at Fraunces Tavern, though — oldest restaurant in NYC — George Washington had lunch and took a dump there, or some such. And, the women on Wall Street looked both gorgeous and like they’d screw you and then bust your balls to get ahead, like a human Praying Mantis. Was about 5 degrees for the week I was there, cold as hell. No job offers, I probably wouldn’t have accepted anyway, the life looked too weird. Had I gone, the crash of ’87 within a year probably would have tossed me out anyway. Next time was ’95-’96, while living in DC, took a few long weekends up there. Including trip where I proposed to Mrs. snarrk in the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center over Kir Royales. It was late and she was sleepy. Said yes, OK, and we went back to the rented apartment and crashed. How romantic can you be after being together for almost a decade? Ha ha. I think she was more excited by the Zabar’s smoked lox for breakfast …

Glad to hear the room is good, etc. And in my experience, the myth of the cold, apathetic NYer couldn’t be more wrong. I worked in Manhattan from 1985-89. You could always strike up an easy conversation with ANYONE on the street. I just read that pedestrian traffic has become a huge rush-hour prob, w/ people spilling onto Seventh Ave. We commuters disliked the Christmas season bc tourists slowed our walk to the Port Authority. You never took a subway or cab unless extreme circumstance. Otherwise, you’d go broke.

Cancel NAFTA? Implement Tariffs? Here that flushing sound? That’s our economy going down the drain the minute that happens. Welcome Depression II, a hundred times worse than what happened in the 1930s.

On a more positive note, Blade and I are meeting up with Loo, SanD, and Mac tomorrow to do some tourist stuff (911 memorial, Staen Island ferry, eventually Finnerty’s and then off to the game. Go Giants!

I just read that Rob Manfred and crew are ‘internally’ looking into restricting the use of relief pitchers in order to speed up the game. This commish has a fundamental and gross MISunderstanding of baseball, its purpose, its cadence, what is behind the cadence, its culture, its milieu. He wants it to be a hip, modern video game. DH? Replay review? Oh, those are nothing. By the time I shuffle off my mortal coil, baseball will have no resemblance to what I knew. What I will recall will be an ancient artifact, a museum piece, a relic.

Being at fenway was like being at a Padre game. I thought I was mistaken. Then i heard the lets go Giants chant in the wednesday game while listening to XM Sox feed. Announcers commented on being shocked at how many giant fans were in the stadium. Fun stuff!

Great time last night in Brooklyn. Going to a game and having Loo on one side of me and Mac on the other was awesome. Lots of laughs and great conversation. Perhaps highlight of the night was when they played “YMCA” between innings and Loo stood and enthusiastically bounced to the music while pointing at me with both hands the entire time.
Trev rode one of the roller coasters, stuck his hand in the Atlantic, and enjoyed talking to Mac’s daughter—-who was born one day after he was!
Sightseeing with ChiaBlade later this morning, Finnerty’s 3-4ish, then the game tonight with Chi’s buddy on the hill. Gonna be a great day.

when you see the numbers
During the slump, San Francisco starting pitchers have an 8.14 ERA, the offense has produced a .237 average (41-for-173) while also going 6-for-41 with runners in scoring position. The offense actually improved Wednesday and San Francisco’s average on this trip climbed 40 points after five players had multi-hit games.
While Alex doesn’t mention defense IIRC that was off, too.

About 6-7 yrs ago mgmt. sent left coast group to Jersey near E rutherford to meet up with NYC/Conn mgrs. and crew.
We would take shuttle into the City and then do tourista stuff, Times Square Carnegie Deli 30 rock.
One day we went to see WTC which hadn’t yet been completed, then 25 of us went onto a park that led to ferry to Statue of Lib and Ellis Isle (very cool place I’d go back to).

On the way back, after we left ferry walked through the park and got on subway, one of gals noticed one of left coast guys was missing. Turns out he was most annoying guy at meeting, constantly interrupting to tell some wild stories that only seemed to happen to him while everyone else rolled their eyes. My boss made the throat cut sign and I thought that might have been last straw.

No idea how he got back to our hotel and the meeting but he walked in couple hours later, all het up and blaming everyone else for ditching him.